Silvio Grasso Barolo 2008

Grasso’s style of Barolo weds power to finesse, and in doing so Federico Grasso captures the ultimate expression of La Morra, traditionally the most elegant of Barolo wines. The 2008 Silvio Grasso Barolo also provides the perfect snapshot of Grasso’s inimitable style. As a quintessential La Morra Barolo, the 2008 Silvio Grasso offers up an amplifying bouquet of red fruits, plum, mocha, and spice. On the palate the wine comes across as truly supple, yet broad and expansive. And in typical Grasso fashion, a smooth, polished core of fruit, spice, and roasted coffee gushes up from the center of the wine. Although young and still in need of two or three more years in bottle to fully develop, this Barolo already exhibits a velvety texture that tantalizes the tongue and incites the senses. Splendid now, it will most assuredly continue to take on depth and complexity for several more years. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest at least an hour and a half of aeration in a decanter before serving, but don’t worry if you can’t wait: the tannins in this young 2008 Barolo won’t rip your mouth apart. As a matter of form we prefer serving most Barolo wines cool, even at cellar temperature (57º-62º F), and the 2008 Silvio Grasso is no exception. Enjoy!

Piemontese cooking is world renowned, so it should come as no surprise that many traditional Piemontese specialties provide ideal accompaniments to Federico Grasso’s 2008 Barolo. A blend of rusticity and sophistication, Piedmont’s complex cuisine complements the region’s full-bodied wines with aplomb. Veal Tartare, served with mushroom caps or shaved truffles, or a hunk of well-aged parmigiano, accompanied by a glass of Grasso Barolo may be one of the best ways to start or end a meal in Piedmont. If the thought of Veal Tartare is less than appetizing, consider instead Milk-Fed Veal sautéed in a luscious brown sauce. Sautéed Rabbit with Peppers; Roast Duck, prepared with a cherry or blackberry sauce; or almost any full flavored Piemontese risotto in the company of this wine can turn a meal into a veritable feast. So, whether you choose to serve simple food or sophisticated fare, Silvio Grasso’s 2008 Barolo will stand and deliver. Buon Appetito!

Silvio Grasso is a small family run estate that specializes in Piemonte’s most important red grape varieties: Barbera and Nebbiolo. Located in the Barolo commune of La Morra this estate has been making Piemontese classics since 1927. However, in the last decade this property’s star has risen sharply and continues to ascend, thanks to the guidance and passion of its present guardian Federico Grasso, who manages both the vineyard and the cellar by himself. He is a proponent of the “new style” of Barolo and an ardent advocate of seductive, barrel aged Barbera.

Federico fashions exceptional Baroli, including several single vineyard crus from southwestern facing vineyards on the slopes of La Morra. Grasso also produces a single vineyard Barbera d’Alba Fontanile, one of Piedmont’s finest Barbera wines, which provides ample testimony to the benefits of barrel aging and Federico Grasso’s deft touch in the cellar. In addition to his single vineyard Baroli and Barbera vineyard selections, Federico Grasso fashions an assortment of Barbera and Nebbiolo based wines from surrounding vineyards. Perhaps, most intriguing among the estate’s non cru wines is L’Insieme, an increasingly popular blend of Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Nebbiolo. As a member of the L’Insieme Association, Silvio Grasso is entitled to use the name “L’Insieme,” which means “together.” L’Insieme blends two traditional red Piemontese grape varieties, Barbera and Nebbiolo, together with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to showcase the infinite possibilities of Piemontese viticulture.